


Tempting Fate

by aelins



Series: turn up (clace modern au stories) [1]
Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Bikers, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Consensual Underage Sex, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Jace is a little bit of a hoe, Jealousy, POV Clary Fray, POV Jace Wayland, POV Third Person, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, clary is in her late teens and jace is 28 i think, i also believe in tagging explicitly, so there will likely be other tags added., there is a HUGE age gap., yeah i'm going to Hell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:21:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24560716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelins/pseuds/aelins
Summary: On one hand, there was never much hope for his soul, he'd always beendark, dark, dark. The life of a biker is a hard one, and Jace would rather trash his bike than let Clary succumb to the darkness. But Clary sees the allure of the darkness, it calls to her.You have a dark heart in you, Valentine's Daughter.
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland
Series: turn up (clace modern au stories) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775227
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	1. took about five shots

**Author's Note:**

> Mind the tags!

Clary breathed a sigh of relief as the bell rang for the last period of the day. Izzy was in the same last period English class she was and Izzy looked as if she’d just woken up from a nap. 

“Rough night?” Clary asked her friend. 

“They won’t stop fucking fighting!” Izzy lamented. “They went till like one in the morning last night.” 

“Yeah, but your dad cheated on your mom… shouldn’t she just leave him?” But Clary knew it wasn’t that simple. 

“She’s his old lady. Fucking biker culture.” Izzy snarled. They were walking out of school and Jace was waiting for Clary and Alec was waiting for Izzy. Alec, Izzy’s older brother, was something of a ring leader. He was the oldest of the teenagers in the club, and next year he would be a pledged member. 

“See you later, Iz.” Clary said. 

Jace Herondale, one of the Red Demons’ most prized members and her parents’ best friend, picked her up everyday from school. "Hey, Jace," she said, smiling at him.

"Well, aren't you the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He suppressed a groan when he took in her outfit. She looked so sweet, in her dark denim skirt and her black tank top. Way more demure than any other female you'd find in their lifestyle.

She blushed like she always did when he spoke those words to her. She wasn't shy by any means but he could tell that compliments were something she didn't know quite how to handle, or maybe it was just him. Jace was a family friend and he was 28, just a few years younger than her mom and dad, who were both in their mid thirties. She thought Jace was very cool and had a huge crush on him. Who wouldn’t? He was all tanned skin, golden eyes and sculpted features. 

"Jaaaace," she said, looking down at the ground. God, she was driving him crazy. She wasn't a girl anymore, she was a young woman...and the kind that would never ask you for anything even though she could get whatever she wanted from you in a heartbeat. Clary was absolutely gorgeous but completely down to earth and if she were a drug, Jace would already be done for.

"What, baby girl? Just telling it like it is." He laughed and put his arm around her, pulling her into his side. "Come on, let's get you home."

  
  


“Jesus, Clary… ” Jace facepalmed when Clary came down from her room in a dress with diamond shaped holes cut open on the sides, black as night and a plunging neckline. Jace wondered if she knew what she did to him seeing her dressed up in these outfits. The dress barely covered the soft curve of her ass and it made him swallow hard. “Where do you think you’re going looking like that?” 

“Sebastian wants to hangout!” She said happily. 

“Clary, does hangout mean have sex?” Jace asked her, he sounded concerned even to his own ears... Sebastian was a new recruit and he  _ really _ didn’t want her hanging out with him. Not to mention he was 18 but that was another matter entirely… 

“No!” Clary blanched. “We’re going for a ride up to the Catskills on his bike!” 

“Ok, so what are you going to do when you get there?” Jace said, he figured if he badgered her enough she wouldn’t want to go. 

“I don’t know! Get pizza and head back?” Clary said innocently. 

“No,” Came another voice from the hallway. “Absolutely not.” 

“Daaaaad!” Clary whined. 

Jace and Luke did their secret handshake and Jace caught Clary rolling her eyes. “I was just trying to convince Clare-bear here to not leave the house looking like that.” Jace said. 

“Thanks man. I know she’s a handful sometimes.” Luke said to Jace. “Clary go put some jeans and a t-shirt on. I need your help in the garage. We just got an order of parts and I need someone to inventory them.” 

Clary sighed. “Are you going to pay me?” 

“Yes, but you better hurry up.” Luke said. 

“Fiiine!” Clary said running back upstairs. 

Luke smirked at Jace and rolled his eyes. “I love her dearly, but one is definitely enough.” 

“How’s Jocie?” Jace asked his best friend. 

“Pissed. She really wants another baby, but things have been so busy lately and I wouldn’t have the time to take care of a new baby.” Luke said. 

“Mhmm… well from what I hear you don’t have it as bad as Robert and Maryse. Maryse was under some delusion that Robert was above using the club girls. Everyone knows Robert’s wandering hands are pretty fucking notorious. Not to mention, I’ve never met anyone besides you and Jocie who didn’t cheat on each other, especially in our world.” 

“I know. Well, you’ve always been faithful, even if the girl in question didn’t deserve it.” 

“Cheating is… gross.” Jace said, looking repulsed. 

Luke chuckled and Clary trotted down the stairs in jeans and t-shirt. “Am I decent?” Clary asked. 

Luke and Jace laughed, “Yeah, you are baby girl.” Luke said. 

*~*~*

Clary had been reading off inventory numbers on parts boxes for over three hours when Luke decided to call it night. 

“Why don’t you order some pizza? It’s Friday night so the boys and I are going to have a bonfire in the back. You can have Izzy and Alec over.” 

“Ohmygod dad, are you going to get drunk?” Clary said giggling. 

Luke just laughed and finished closing down the garage. She took out her phone and noticed she had three missed calls from Izzy. 

[ C. Garroway ] Come over, we’re having a get together. Dad’s throwing a bonfire in the back yard and all the boys are coming over. 

[ I. Lightwood ] I can’t. My mom is packing her shit and leaving. I’m freaking out. 

[ C. Garroway ] Oh no! Is there anything I can do?

[ I. Lightwood ] Not right now, but thanks. Mom wants Alec and I to come with her but we can’t because I don’t want to leave school and everything behind. I’m totally freaking out. 

[ C. Garroway ] I don’t know how to help. How about I just see you tomorrow?

[ I. Lightwood ] Yeah ok. 

[ C. Garroway ] *heart emoji*

  
*~*~*

Jace didn’t  _ technically _ live with the Garroways, but he was there pretty frequently. He was there setting up the fire now. He had a beer in his hand and he was trying to hack apart an old sofa Luke was getting rid of with an axe. 

He thought about Clary and the way she had dressed. She wasn’t trying to attract attention per se, but she did it without trying, she was only 16! She had no right looking so sexy at  _ that _ age. More to the point  _ he _ had no right thinking about what it would be like to touch her. When she had gotten into the truck that day after school looking sexy without even trying...he knew he had to have her.. He shouldn’t be having these thoughts! He threw a hunk of the sofa into the fire pit frustratedly. 

He thought about her in that dress that she tried to wear to see Sebastian of all people… she had looked fine as fuck but it wasn’t something Sebastian deserved to see. He’d known Clary as long as he’d been in the club, which was going on 10 years now. He’d seen her grow up from a child into a beautiful young lady. She was off limits though, how fucked up could it possibly get? He could never date her… dating your best friend’s daughter was taboo at best. 

Jace's issue was that he'd overheard a private conversation between Izzy and Clary where she told Izzy that Sebastian asked her to fuck him. As soon as he heard that, he held his breath, hoping to catch anything related to her feelings on the subject. She was quiet and didn't really comment, which had Jace nearly passing out from lack of oxygen.

Jace may have been about 10 years too old for Clary, but he was a better man than Sebastian could ever dream of being. He hoped, even if he couldn't have her, that she'd at least save her virginity for someone worthy of it. Jace tried to imagine Sebastian taking Clary’s virginity… he swung the axe particularly violently, splitting the back of the sofa in half. 

He heard the rumble of Luke’s truck pulling into the drive and wrestled the axe out of the sofa. 

“Jace!” Jocie called from the house. 

“Coming!” 

Jace ran back inside. 

  
*~*~* 

While Jocie was busy getting food ready for the boys she had inadvertently left the liquor cabinet in the living room open and she went in for the kill. She nabbed a bottle of Grey Goose and made off with it towards her room. No one noticed her and thank god too, she would be dead if Jocie saw her with that bottle. Luke was the relaxed parent and Jocie was a bit uptight. 

She stashed the bottle and went downstairs to get a cup of cranberry juice to chase her shots with. She brought the cup upstairs and started changing into a low cut shirt and riding boots. These kinds of parties, especially when they were outside, were not a high heels event. 

She had never been drunk before, and she was curious as to what it felt like. She took a pull off the bottle of Grey Goose and chased it with a sip of cranberry juice. It tasted the way gasoline smells. A few minutes later she felt a light headed feeling come over her. It felt good.

She started doing her makeup and decided on a smokey eye and thick winged liner. The whole thing took her about 30 minutes. She had one more shot before going down to the party.

She went back downstairs and saw that the party was in full swing. The fire was roaring outside and everyone had a drink or a joint in their hands. This was not exactly kid-friendly setting. In the corner of their yard she could see Sebastian getting his dick wet in one of the club’s sluts. They were cheap girls with no tact. 

Jace and Luke were passing a joint between them, Luke had a beer and Jace had whiskey. “Clare-bear!” Jace called. “Come on over!” He said with a smirk. 

She walked over and took a seat in one of the lawn chairs next to them. 

“Hey. Can I have some?” Clary asked, giving their joint a pointed look. 

Luke looked at Jace. She was turning 17 in a few days… “Please, dad!” Clary begged. 

“Fine. It’s Jace’s job to carry you in the house when you get too high.” Luke said. 

Clary looked at Jace and grinned, she took the joint from his grip. She noticed his fingernails were bitten down to the quick. “How does this work?” Clary asked innocently. 

Jace laughed and Clary looked at him, his eyes were glassy and bloodshot. Luke got up and went over to Sebastian to pull him off of the slut he was currently manhandling. 

Jace rolled his eyes. “How could you want to go on a date with  _ him _ ?” Jace laughed. He was right to laugh because thinking she could give her virginity to someone like that was fucking comical. 

She took the joint and inhaled she immediately started coughing and hacking. “Jesus Christ this isn’t weed this is an assassination attempt!” Clary said through her coughs. 

Jace laughed and rubbed her back. “Baby girl, why don’t you watch me?” 

“Yeah, ok.” Clary said. 

He took the joint back and inhaled, held the hit for a second and blew it out all without coughing. 

“It would be easier to teach you if we had a bowl or something.” 

“This is fine. I can do it.” She took the joint back from him and inhaled and held it for a second and blew it out. “Wow.” She felt more of the lightheaded sensation come over her, she felt kind of sleepy. 

“You like it?” Jace asked. 

“Yeah. but I’m good for now. I kind of snuck some liquor.” Clary said and cringed, expecting a reprimand. 

“Oh... Don’t let Jocie see the bottle in your room.” Jace said, he let his hand wander to her knee. “Do you wanna sip of my whiskey?” 

“No, I can barely stand the vodka chased with cranberry juice. The shit tastes like gasoline.” Clary said making a face. 

Jace laughed. “What kind of vodka is it? Crystal Palace?” 

“Grey Goose.”

Jace shook his head and smiled good-naturedly. “That’s the good stuff.” 

“See I don’t even know what good vodka is supposed to taste like.” Clary laughed. 

  
*~*~*

2 in the morning was approaching and Clary and Jace had one more joint between them and Clary had a few beers. Comparatively, Jace had gone a little harder than Clary. He’d gone through nearly half a bottle of Jameson whiskey. The crowd was starting to disperse, the groupies were finding beds for the night with the men present and she figured her dad was already inside. 

“I think I want to go to bed.” Clary said yawning. 

“Drink some water before you go to bed so you don’t get hungover. God, tomorrow I’m going to regret this so hard.” Jace murmured. 

“Ok, sounds good. Will you come tuck me in?” Clary asked, putting her hand over his where it was on her knee. 

“Yeah, sure.” 

He knocked back the last of his whiskey and staggered as he got up. She grabbed his hand and prevented him from falling over. “You ok, Jace?” 

“Yep. A half bottle of whiskey does make a man’s balance a bit off.” Jace laughed and clasped his hand with Clary’s. She thought maybe she should pull away but it was just Jace… 

They walked into the house where things were settling down too. All the food was gone and most of the booze too. Clary helped Jace upstairs and walked him into her room. 

She took off her shirt, revealing a lacy cami, she took off her riding boots and got in bed. She pulled the covers up and took off her jeans. “Jace come’ere.” 

He tucked in the edges of her duvet and kissed her… on the lips. It was over in a flash but by the gasp that left Clary’s mouth she wasn’t expecting it. “Jace…” 

“Shh… god, you’re so fucking sexy.” Jace purred in her ear. She felt her face flush and was it just her or did the temperature go up in here a few degrees? 

He pulled her hair to one side and kissed a fiery trail of kisses up her neck. His teeth grazed her ear, and nipped the top of it. She couldn’t help it, it was the best thing she’d ever felt, she moaned his name. 

He was hovering over her. She blinked and saw him staring down at her, his golden eyes were still glassy although less bloodshot. “Kiss me, Jace.”

He let out a low growl and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her over and over and finally she let him inside her mouth. He ran his tongue along her lips and scraped his teeth over her tongue until the need for air became an issue. 

In the intervening moments, they looked at each other. That had been coming for quite some time, hadn’t it? Clary couldn’t take her eyes off of him. “Just lay down with me for a bit?” 

“No, Clary, I shouldn’t,” Jace said resolutely seeming much soberer than he actually was. She could tell he wanted to do more than kiss, but he was afraid of the consequences. 

“Shh… lay down. You can’t drive like this. Take off your boots and make yourself comfortable.” She slipped past him and locked her door. “See, no one will be the wiser.” 

“Clary…” But the clarity the kiss had brought was fast being replaced by more sleepiness. “Fine, but no one can know.” This wasn’t how he imagined his first night in Clary’s bed or the first time he would kiss her but there he was making a mess of things.

“That’s fine. I wouldn’t tell anyone.” Clary said, slipping back into bed. 

Jace had taken off his boots and jeans leaving him in nothing but a soft t-shirt and boxers. She redistributed the pillows so Jace would have two and she would have one. “Good night, Jace.” 

“Night, Clare-bear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come talk to me [on the bird app](https://www.twitter.com/sanktaleks) / [tumblr](https://feyesand.tumblr.com)


	2. that's what happens when you let your heart win

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please remember this is not my best work!

The next day was Saturday and Clary woke up to a cold bed. She wasn’t surprised and it was probably for the best. Luke would probably kill Jace if he found out about last night. She shivered as she thought of the heat of Jace’s lips on hers. She tried to dismiss it for him just being drunk but… she wasn’t sure. 

She flung the covers off her and checked her phone. 

[ I. Lightwood ] Can I come over?

The text message was timestamped at 8am. She looked at the clock and realized it was nearly 11 am. Quickly she texted back that it would be fine for her to come over. 

She changed, put her hair up, and went downstairs, Jace and Luke were talking in hushed whispers. “Morning.” She grumbled. 

Luke and Jace stood up straight and seemed to resolve to speak later. “Secrets aren’t cool dad.” 

“Neither is how late you woke up. Your mother’s been in a tiff all day. She knows you snuck liquor and I’m in trouble for letting you smoke.” Luke said grumpily. 

“Sorry, dad,” Clary said hanging her head as she grabbed cereal and milk. There was no school today, as it was Saturday but that meant some of the boys would be doing a run. 

Clary padded into the living room and sat down on the worn-out sofa. She picked the marshmallows out of her Lucky Charms cereal and flipped on college football. She didn’t understand the game. She knew about touchdowns and field goals but that was it. She looked at the TV, Clemson and Alabama State were playing. The season had barely started. 

Luke had gone to arrange a run with the boys and Clary didn’t want to know much about that. She had a basic idea of what went on but the details were better left to the guys in the MC. 

She felt someone sit down next to her on the couch and turned to find Jace looking at her. Jace grabbed the spoon out of her bowl and took a giant bite of her Lucky Charms, giving her a big smile as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Go get your own bowl. There's plenty in there."

"But yours taste so much better, baby girl," he said, winking at her and licking the last of the milk off the spoon.

She stuck her tongue out at him and made a face. “How’s your hangover?” She asked him. 

“Shitty. Someone needs to take the bottle away from me when I get that drunk.” Jace said. 

“That’s not my job.” She said playfully. “When will you guys be getting back from the run?” 

“It’s just a weekend trip so we’ll be back in time for me to pick you up from school on Monday,” Jace replied. 

“Nice,” Clary said, picking her cereal back up and munching on it. 

“Hey, Clary?” Jace asked. 

Jace couldn't take his eyes off of her mouth, remembering exactly how it felt against his the night before. Drunk or not, he would never forget her soft lips and tongue moving against his.

"Yeah, Jace?" she responded, looking at him inquisitively. He looked around quickly to make sure no one was in the general vicinity.

"About last night..." he said, rubbing the back his neck.

"I told you, no one will ever know. Besides, we were both drunk. It was just something that two drunk people did together. What does it matter in the grand scheme of things?"

Jace couldn't believe the words leaving her mouth. Had it just been nothing to her? Because even if all they'd done was kiss and sleep, it'd sure meant a hell of a lot to him.

She was pretty drunk though and it made him wonder if she would've ever responded the way she did if she were sober. Fuck, he really wanted to find out but common sense came sweeping back in.

She was the princess of the MC and he was the last guy that was ever supposed to have her, whether he wanted her or not. But even though he told himself this over and over again, he couldn't help how he felt.

He didn't want to put any pressure on her. He wanted her to return his feelings because they came about naturally. She was still young and anyway he tried to influence her could come back to bite him in the ass in the long run.

In the meantime, he would try his best to treat her like he always had. To keep her away from guys like Sebastian and try to not think about her like anything other than his Prez' daughter and the girl he'd been groomed to protect for as long as he could remember. That was going to be easier said than done. 

He looked over at her, just staring at the game on TV and finishing up her breakfast and he already knew he was screwed. When he'd woken up and seen her cheek pressed to the pillow with messy bed head, she'd still been the most beautiful girl in the world and fuck if he didn't wish he could wake up to that every morning.

"Good, just checking." He said half-heartedly. If only he would've caught Clary's half defeated look before her normal sweet demeanor took back over.

*~*~*

A few hours later the whole MC was crammed in the house awaiting orders from their Prez. Luke whistled and the boys stopped chattering. “Alright boys, you know the deal: no cops, no stops so we’re taking the back ways. We’re avoiding the border crossing like hell so we’ve got some boys from a Canadian charter opening up a field for us to cross through. We’re going up tonight, picking up the goods and coming back in time for y’all to fuck your women on Monday night.” There was some laughter and Clary shook her head… 

She was currently reading Lord of the Rings, which was part of her reading assignment for the upcoming year at school, she was a junior and the book had been assigned to her on the first day of class. She looked up, saw Jace, and smiled at him sweetly. He looked pumped for the run and she was glad. 

The boys were starting to disperse after some more instructions from Luke and Jace. Jace came into the living room, and smirked at her, showing his chipped tooth. “I’m about to go. I’ll see you after school on Monday, ok?” 

“Yeah ok, sounds good.” She said calmly. She walked out with him and noticed his leather jacket was unzipped if they were going to be riding into the night to Canada then he needed to be protected in case anything happened while they were on the road. Just before he got on his bike she zipped up his jacket in front of everyone and kissed his cheek softly. There was a tiny bit of stubble there and she liked the way it felt. “Be safe, take care of my dad.” 

His cheeks flamed and he smiled at her. “Will do, baby girl will do!” He got on his bike, kick-started it, and began pulling out of the drive with her dad in front of him. She blew the boys a kiss and they all waved. She felt a hand on her back, it was her mother. 

“You’re in a bit of trouble, aren’t you young lady?” Her mother said. 

“Mom! C’mon! It was fun!” 

“Did you seriously think I wouldn’t realize my favorite liquor had suddenly disappeared off the face of the planet?” She said scoldingly. 

“Well… I can hope.” Clary said, trying to sound innocent. 

“Riiight, you better finish reading that book. Don’t you have a paper due on Tuesday?”

“Ugh, yeah I do.” Clary made a face. She hated writing papers about books, even if she was enjoying them. Dissecting what happened and why it happened ruined all the fun. “But Izzy is coming over. Her and her mom are, you know…” 

“Arguing?” Jocie attempted to clarify. 

“No, you know how Robert is!” Clary said heaving a sigh and walking back inside. “He’s got the worst wandering hands I’ve ever seen and poor Mars, she just never really stood a chance, did she?” Clary babbled. Mars was what Maryse Lightwood preferred to be called by everyone. 

There was a firm set now to Jocie’s shoulders. “This is the life we live, Clarissa. It pays the bills and keeps a roof over your head. Maryse knew what she was getting into when she married Rob.” 

Clary sighed. “I know.” She said, resigned.

*~*~*

For whatever reason Izzy didn’t get there until about 12:30, she came with Alec, her older brother. He was a prospect for the Red Demons and had graduated school the previous spring. Clary and Alec didn’t get along famously, but she could make do. 

Clary was firmly torn between telling her best friend what had happened last night and swearing her to secrecy or just keeping it to herself. 

“Hey guys, some of the other prospects and I are going to get beers. I’ll be back tonight?”Alec nodded in the girl’s direction.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Izzy said. “We’ll be here, I’ve got a paper I have to write and Clary is the brains around here so she’s going to help me.” Clary rolled her eyes. It wasn’t true at all. Isabelle was just better at math and science than English. In a way, it worked out because Clary was useless with a calculator or her lab stuff so they helped each other out. 

“So how was your night?” Izzy asked curiously. 

“Fine. Stole some of mom’s liquor and smoked weed with my dad and Jace.” Clary said as she typed away on her computer. 

"Did your mom flip, or what?"

"Yeah, she's not too happy with me right now."

"I love how our parents brought us into this world but expect us to behave ourselves and act like we're not submerged in the world of bikers, old ladies, drugs, sex, and violence. Like they were saints at our age," Izzy complained.

"Doubtful, Very doubtful," Clary laughed at Izzy's attitude.

They put pencil to paper and began to tackle their homework. They worked for close to two hours before they decided to give it a rest.

"So I wanted to tell you, I got a date for tonight," Izzy said, excitedly.

"Really? That's great, Iz. Do I know him?" Clary inquired.

"No, he's this guy I met through this app Sebastian told me about. You just sign up, make a profile, and start swiping to choose who you like. If someone likes you too, then you just start talking and can do what you want from there."

Clary thought about it for a moment. She knew the one person she had ever wanted was her parents' best friend and even if they accepted her feelings, Jace didn't see her that way...at least not when he wasn't drunk. 

The way he was acting when he brought up their activities from the previous night made it seem like he regretted it so even if she didn't, she'd just have to find a way to get over him. He didn't want her. She was too young. She was off-limits.

She figured she could use the help to find someone to occupy her time and keep her mind off of Jace. None of the guys at her school interested her. At the very least, maybe she'd find a friend to hang out with that was outside the world she was stuck in.

"What's the app called?"

"Tinder. Come on, download it on your phone and let's make you a profile."

It took the two girls only a couple of minutes to set up an account for Clary. When they came to the section asking for age, Izzy snatched the phone.

"What are you doing, Iz?"

"We have to embellish your age a little bit." Clary looked at her, skeptically. "Think about it, no one is going to want to date a sixteen-year-old. Trust me."

Clary could see her point. She supposed she was probably a little younger than most people using the app. And obviously, she was attracted to older guys if a certain biker god was any indication.

"Don't worry, we'll only make you a little bit older. That's what I did. We'll just say you're 18," Izzy explained.

Clary sighed. Leave it to Izzy to do something like this. Once her age was set Izzy handed Clary’s phone back and she started swiping. She leaned back in her office chair, it was a bit beat up like the rest of the furniture in the house but it was comfortable and that’s what mattered. Izzy was still swiping on her phone when Clary got her first match. She matched with a guy named Jonathan Morgenstern, she had no idea who he was or where he was from. His profile was non-existent but his age was listed as 21. 

[ C. Garroway ] Hi! 

[ J. Morgenstern ] Aye! How you doin? 

[ C. Garroway ] Good =) It’s Saturday night. What are you up to? 

[ J. Morgenstern ] Chillin with the boys. Drinking some beers. 

[ C. Garroway ] Oh nice. I’m chillin with my friend, working on homework. 

[ J. Morgenstern ] Are you in college? 

[ C. Garroway ] Yeah. Art major. 

[ J. Morgenstern ] Ok, well do you want to talk some more? My number is (212) 123-4567. 

[ C. Garroway ] Yeah, sure.

Clary immediately switched over to texting him. She was excited to have matched with someone on her first try using the app and couldn't wait to see where it took her.

[ C. Garroway ] Hey, it's Clary.

[ J. Morgenstern ] I figured. So, what are your plans for the night?

[ C. Garroway ] Just finishing up this paper and then I don't know, I didn't have anything specific planned...You?

[ J. Morgenstern ] Just chilling, hoping you might wanna meet up?

Clary was a little nervous. She never expected things to move so fast. She figured, she'd maybe talk to someone for a few days and feel the situation out and then if all seemed good, then she'd make plans to meet up with them. That wasn't the way that things worked.

She decided she'd talk to the guy for a while and see if she felt like it was a good idea but for now, she would give him a noncommittal answer.

[ C. Garroway ] Let me finish up here. Then we'll see what's up.

[ J. Morgenstern ] Sounds good.

Clary showed Izzy the texts. “Clary, we have to be careful. You know our dads have enemies. Maybe we should have our dates just meet us at the same place. We'll, of course, do it someplace public but that way, we're not alone with these guys the first time we meet them."

Clary was actually just about to suggest the same thing. She watched the news, mostly as background to reading or doing homework, but the stories were hard to miss. She knew the things that could happen to women when they did stupid things like meet strange guys, alone and out in the middle of nowhere.

"Agreed, we should have them meet us at that bar that doesn't card over on Washington Street," Clary said.

"Excellent, I'll text Meliorn and let him know that's where we're going tonight." She grabbed her phone and sent him a message "Okay, so here," she handed Clary a can of pepper spray and a short knife, "hopefully, we won't need them but just in case."

"I don't think we will but a girl can never be too careful," Clary said, tucking her very own self-defense kit into a fold, in her purse on the bed.

Clary refocused on the task at hand and said, “Now about that part about the boys on the island? That’s Lord of the Flies, not Lord of the Rings….” 

*~*~*

After another 2 hours of work, it was time for dinner. She and Jonathan had been texting back and forth and he seemed like a nice guy. Clary had been trying to gauge his intentions and see if he was expecting something from her. She just wanted to get to know someone. Jonathan seemed to be on the same page. She decided it would be fine to go meet him and just hang out.

Jocie made chicken, potatoes, stuffing, and green beans. When they sat down Jocie looked around at the food. There was enough for an army. “I guess the boys are going to get leftovers. Sorry girls, I’m used to cooking for an army.” 

Izzy and Clary just smiled and laughed. Clary ate well and they sat and had coffee after dinner like a couple of old ladies. “I’m going out tonight mom, so is Izzy.” 

“Does Mars know?” Jocie asked.

“Yeah,” Izzy said sipping her coffee. 

“So everyone’s going to be safe right? We don’t have the boys around to protect us and we need to mind our P’s and Q’s.” Jocie stressed. 

Clary sighed, her mother was right. “We’ll be fine. Izzy has a date with a fine young man.” 

Jocie smiled at her girls and said, “Why don’t you girls go get ready and I’ll clean up?” 

“Ok, mom.” 

Izzy headed upstairs but Jocie stopped Clary. “Please be careful. Don’t get wasted or anything, and be on your guard.” 

“Ok, will do,” Clary said, shrinking away from her mom. She jogged up the stairs and met Izzy. They changed, Izzy did Clary’s makeup and Clary curled her hair. It was always kind of curly and wavy but not in a very organized way so Clary took a curling iron and fixed it to her satisfaction. She got the nod from Izzy and she liked what she saw in the mirror so she figured she was good to go. She picked up her phone and sent off a text. 

[ C Garroway ] Hey, I'm finally finished. Still, want to hang out?

[ J. Morgenstern ] Definitely. Do you want me to come pick you up?

[ C. Garroway ] Actually, I was thinking you could meet me at Blitz. They don't card so...

[ J. Morgenstern ] Oh yeah, I used to drink there all the time before I turned 21. I'll meet you there in 20?

[ C. Garroway ] I'll be waiting =*)

A little over ten minutes later, Clary and Izzy arrived at Blitz, making sure to walk in separately, in case either one of their dates had gotten there early. 

Since neither one of them saw the guy they were supposed to be meeting, they walked up to the bar and ordered a drink. They sat at tables that weren't too far away from each other but still at enough of a distance that they each had their privacy.

Clary noticed a tall man with long dark hair walk up to Izzy and kiss her on the cheek. As she turned back to her drink, she saw him. Jonathan looked...amazing. He had white-blonde hair and the most gorgeous green eyes.

He spotted her and headed in her direction. She stood as he reached her table. "Hi!" She reached her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Clary."

His mouth tilted up just a little at the corner and he grabbed her hand, slowly appraising her with his eyes before speaking. "I know."

She thought about how gorgeous he was and figured if she did decide to have a relationship with this guy, she didn't want to start it out with a lie so she decided to come clean. "I have a confession to make. I'm not 18."

His lips turned up even more at that. "And exactly how old are you?"

She leaned and whispered it in his ear. They may be in a bar that didn't card but if someone overheard her real age, she didn't think they'd be so cool about serving her alcohol.

"Okay," he said, shrugging, "I can live with that."

Clary and Jonathan had been talking and drinking for a little over an hour when they heard a loud noise from the side entrance of the bar. They both turned and saw that it was a group of guys wearing cuts. Clary couldn't see what they looked like through the low light of the room and haze of alcohol but surprisingly, Jonathan seemed to know them.

He stood up and told he'd be right back, giving her a look that wasn't familiar to her but looked a bit like a mixture of nerves and anger, however, it was gone as quickly as it came. 

She watched him walk over to the group of men and they greeted him like he was a close friend. For a moment, Clary panicked. There were a few MCs around that were serious Red Demon enemies and she didn't need to put herself in a situation where she had to explain dating a rival club member to her father. That just wasn't a thing you did.

However, she reasoned with herself that Jonathan was a really nice guy. He'd treated her with nothing but respect since he walked in the door, even after finding out she'd lied to him so she didn't have any reason to be suspicious of him. Plus, he wasn't even wearing a cut...and what biker walked around without his cut?

She looked over and saw Izzy on the dance floor, completely wrapped up with Meliorn. She was having a good time as well. 

Clary took the last sip of her fourth screwdriver and decided to go get another drink while she was waiting for her date to return. She not so gracefully made her way up to the bar and ordered from the bartender. 

She looked back at the door where Jonathan had been standing with whatever club that had come in but they were no longer there. She did a quick scan of the bar and saw them sitting at a table at the back with Jonathan standing in front of it. He looked at her and put his finger up, indicating he'd be with her in a minute.

One downside was that part of the reason for doing this was to get to know someone outside of their lifestyle and whether he belonged to an MC or not, he was obviously close with at least some of the members of one.

Just as she was being handed her drink, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Don't turn around or respond to me in any way."

"What's going on, Iz? I thought we were going to act like we didn't know each other?"

"We need to get the hell out of here, Clary. That guy you're with, I didn't get a good look at him when he came in and I could only see his profile when you guys were sitting together but we need to get as far away from him and his friends as possible as quickly as we can."

Clary started to panic again but she did her best not to show it. Schooling her features, she asked, "Those are Black Vipers, aren't they?" It would be her luck.

"Yes and that guy you're with? I didn't realize it before but he's the VP. Clary, you're on a date with the VP of our biggest rival and we need to get the fuck out of here now. Make an excuse and make it sound believable."

"I might need some help with that. Can you make an excuse with Meliorn first, go outside and call me?"

"On it," Izzy said before walking back to her table.

Clary chanced a look back at Jonathan and the other Vipers to make sure they hadn't witnessed the exchange but they still seemed to be engaged in whatever murder, sex ring, or drug deal they were discussing.

She paid the bartender and picked up her drink, carrying it back to her table. She sat down and laid her phone on the table, thinking that Izzy's call couldn't come soon enough. She realized that if Jonathan hadn't returned to the table by the time the call came in, she'd have to either wait or actually knowingly put herself in danger by approaching the group to let him know she was leaving..

What if one of them recognized her? Her parents and Jace had done an amazing job at keeping her out of the eyes of the other MCs but there had been a few incidents over the years where she'd been seen with her parents by other bikers.

It was only a minute or so later before the call came in. She picked it up knowing that it was Izzy. As soon as she answered, she saw Jonathan sit back down in front of her.

"Calm down, Iz. Yeah, I’m still out. What happened? No. Yeah. No, I understand. Yeah, I’ll be there. Okay, see you soon. Love you.”

“Is something up?” Jonathan asked, before taking another drink of his beer.

“Yeah, that was my best friend. Her and her longtime boyfriend apparently just broke up and she’s freaking out. That means I get to go be a babysitter for the night. Otherwise, she’ll give herself alcohol poisoning and I can’t let her do that to herself. Sorry I have to leave sooner than I’d like.” Clary stood up and gathered her bag. Jonathan stood up with her.

“It’s fine. Maybe we can hang out again sometime?”

“Sure. I’ll text you and let you know when I’m free,” Clary said with a smile. Jonathan leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “See you later,” she called over her shoulder and she walked through the door to meet up with Izzy so they could make their way home.

*~*~*

After a long ride up to Canada, Jace was ready for a good night’s sleep. Up north, the fall had already started to kick into gear and riding was chilly. He just wanted a hot shower and a comfortable bed. 

They weren’t staying in a great motel, it was the same one they used every time they went up north so they got the nicest rooms, unfortunately, that didn’t mean much. It smelled of mold. The floors were clean, the beds were made and when he looked at the shower… no mold. He could probably tolerate having a shower. Jace was well known for liking things neat and clean. His apartment, which was not usually used much, was spotless and clean. He didn’t know how these guys lived in filth. 

He took his clothes off, ran the hot water, and thought briefly of Clary… he wondered what she was doing right now. If she was missing him. He scoffed at himself, Clary didn’t feel that way. She was drunk, he was drunk, and as she said, what did one drunk kiss mean in the grand scheme of things? 

He sighed as he stepped under the spray of water coming from the shower. It was warm and felt good. He washed his hair with lather from a bar of soap and washed his face. In the warm water, his cock was coming to life. It had been too long. Clary’s laugh bubbled up in his memory, the way her smile made him want to do unspeakable things to her. God, he thought of her giving her virginity to him. Being the one to comfort her when it stung too much and teaching her all the ways he wanted to be pleasured. He gripped his now hard cock in his hand, rolling his thumb over the head every few strokes. 

He thought of her lips, and the way she would scream his name when he finally got to fuck her. God, he wanted to be her first so badly. He wanted to take her, teach her what pleasure meant and how good it would feel to have a man who loved his woman. He gripped his cock harder. He wanted to see all of her beautiful body. By the angel, he wanted so much from her. All they’d had was one kiss!!! Still, he could feel her soft little moans when he kissed her. He was close and he pushed himself over the edge of oblivion thinking what it would be like to have those pouty lips wrapped around his cock. 

He continued to stroke his shaft, helping himself through the aftershocks caused by the copious amounts of cum that had just shot all over his hand and the wall of the shower. He never came harder than when he thought about Clary but now that he knew the noises she made, it was so much better.

When Jace recovered from his orgasm he cleaned up and turned the water off. He dried off, threw his old boxers back on, and slid into bed. Sleep came easily and peacefully to him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come talk to me [on the bird app](https://www.twitter.com/sanktaleks) / [tumblr](https://feyesand.tumblr.com)


	3. who am i, darling to ya?

*~*~* 

CHAPTER 3

*~*~* 

The next day it was early when they got back on the road. Jace was ready for the short ride up to Angel Grove. They were picking up drugs this time. Luke led them out of the motel parking lot and drove in the direction of their warehouse. Jace was wearing his bulletproof vest as were the rest of the boys. He wasn’t expecting trouble but it was good to be prepared. They picked up the truck, made sure it was ready to go and exchanged money for drugs. Jace waited dutifully for Luke to come out of the warehouse and sure enough, he did. 

It wasn’t until they were in Alexandria Bay, well on the other side of the US/Canada border. They were stopped at a red light, having elected to take a back way. A pickup pulled up next to their truck and several men armed with pistols and cuts that read “Black Vipers” stormed out of the vehicle. Jace’s heart stuttered in his chest they wouldn’t hesitate to kill him. 

A gunshot rang out and Jace knew they had killed the driver of the truck bearing their drugs. Jace pulled his weapon right at the same time as Luke. Luke shot first and killed one of the Black Vipers. Jace had seventeen in his magazine so he let it rip. He got two more of the five dudes down. He gun butted one of the rival MC’s members. Luke went down next to him… Jordan and Simon shot down the other two guys. 

Jace had killed men before and most likely he’d have to do it again to keep everyone he loved safe. 

*~*~*

When they reached the small town of Herkimer on the Hudson River. The boys all needed to stretch their legs, this was about three hours after the incident with the Black Vipers. It was getting to be late afternoon. Jace took out his Marlboro Reds and lit one. He looked out over the Hudson River and swallowed hard. Going home meant facing Clary and that would clearly be complicated. “Aye,” Luke said. “Can I bum one?” 

Jace shook his head at his friend and handed him a cigarette. “How are you feeling?” 

“Probably got a couple of broken ribs but I’m still kickin’,” Luke said. 

“You should get that looked at,” Jace suggested, trying to put out of his mind the fact that his Prez had almost been shot. Had been shot, really. If it weren’t for the protection...How the fuck would he have explained that the Jocie? Or Clary?

“Yeah, I know, when we get back to Kingston I’ll go get it looked at.” Luke lit his cigarette. Luke had gotten one of the local ER doctors on their payroll as soon as he’d married Jocie. That was almost twenty years ago and the doctors had come and gone but there was always someone on staff at the local ER that could patch them up without a big fuss. 

“Good.” Jace snubbed out what was left of his cigarette and patted Luke on the back before going inside the gas station and getting some grub. 

Before they knew it, they were all back in their hometown with the drugs in tow. Luke and Jace had gone back to Luke’s house where he was letting Jocie take care of him while waiting for the doctor to make a home visit.

The ride had taken its toll and even though most wouldn't notice, Jace had known Luke long enough to realize that he was in pain and just doing his best not to show it.

Despite knowing there wasn't much else he could've done, Jace still felt guilty. Injury and death were a way of life for the business they were in but he was supposed to protect his Prez, that was his job. Luke was also his best friend and on top of all of that, it was all Clary had asked of him before they left.

When they walked in the door and Jace was helping to hold Luke up, Jocie had greeted him like she always did but he couldn't stand to look Clary in the eye after seeing the worried look on her face. He took off to the backyard before he could see the disappointment that would inevitably follow.

He sat down on a chair and lit up a cigarette, trying to figure out what he'd eventually say to her once he had the courage. It was ridiculous that he'd been part of the MC for as long as he could remember but a woman as small as Clary could nearly cause him to have a nervous breakdown without saying a damn word.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize anyone was outside with him until the shadow was blocking the sun from his face. He looked up and there she was, looking at him, inquisitively, in her cutoff jean shorts and one of Luke's old band t-shirts that had been tied at the back. God, she was absolutely gorgeous no matter what she was wearing.

"You didn't even say anything. You just walked away," Clary said, toeing the grass with her bare foot.

"I didn't know what to say," Jace said, staring at the ground and taking another deep drag of his cigarette.

Somehow, she seemed to know exactly how he was feeling which was pretty common for Clary, except when it came to how he really felt about her. When it came to that, she was blind. Unless, she knew and just didn't feel the same way or she did feel the same way and like him, felt too bound by the restrictions put on their relationship to act on her feelings. He couldn't be sure and it was making him lose his mind. God, he was never unsure when it came to women but she completely beguiled him and he had no idea what to do about it.

"Jace, whatever you're thinking, this wasn't your fault."

"Yeah," he said, unconvincingly while still looking at the ground.

Before he knew what was happening, Clary was climbing into his lap and wrapping one of her arms around his neck, while pulling his face up to look at her with her small hand.

"Jace, there was nothing you could've done differently. We all live a dangerous life and there is bound to be pain. You got both of you back in one piece which is all that I can ask for," she said before placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

He tossed his cigarette and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, not knowing when the next time he would get the chance would be. He loved the feel of her supple body against his.

"Come on, dinner should be done soon and I know you haven't had a decent meal in days."

He smiled back at her then stood up, clasped onto her hand, and allowed her to lead him back into the house. 

When they entered, Luke was at the dinner table, shirtless with his ribs wrapped up and Jocie was just putting the food on the table. Clary took her seat and of course, Jace took the one he always occupied, right next to her.

"We've gotta do something about that haul," Luke said, as soon as they were all sitting down and were putting food on their plates. "I don't feel good about it just sitting around," he lamented. 

“I’ll drive the shit out there,” Jace volunteered. He knew he was the best one for the job and Luke was in no condition to do it himself no matter how much he would argue otherwise. “Just have a couple of the guys follow me there.” 

“Yeah, alright. You drive. We'll have a couple of the guys run protection.” Luke said. 

“Sounds good, Prez.” 

As soon as the meal was over, Jace thanked Jocie for the grub, said goodbye to Luke and Clary, and hopped back on his bike to make his way to the clubhouse.

When he got there, Luke had already distributed orders so it didn't take long to get everything ready to go. Simon whined that his ass felt like it was about to fall off if he sat another second on his bike. Jace gave him a sharp reprimand and he shut up. He got in the big truck and started the twenty-minute drive to Rhinebeck. About five minutes in, some guys with Black Viper cuts pulled up next to to the truck. Jace made no move to piss them off. One of the Black Vipers’ guys flipped him off but he wasn’t sweating it. Obviously, they had no idea their guys were dead in a ditch outside of Alexandria Bay. There would be heat for that but Jace was good with heat. 

They got to Rhinebeck in one piece and offloaded everything with their security and the girls who would be processing the drugs. 

It had been a long day and it was now past nightfall. Jace figured he could get back to the clubhouse and use his room there to just crash the fuck out. 

*~*~*

School the following Monday was frustrating. Clary got in trouble with her English teacher for helping Izzy with her essay and Izzy got in trouble for writing Clary’s lab report for her. It was all bullshit. She was never going to college anyway! She just needed to graduate with a high school degree and get working for her dad, maybe do some classes in bookkeeping if her dad insisted. Her mom didn’t technically work, she was a stay at home mom and Old Lady. Luke brought home enough cash for them to live relatively comfortably. 

“How are your parents doing?” Clary asked Izzy. 

“Not good. Mom took a flight to L.A. this morning.” 

“Oh my fucking god.” Clary sighed as she closed her locker. It was the end of the last period of the day. Clary got her messenger bag loaded with books and notebooks and her art portfolio. 

“I miss her already,” Izzy grumbled miserably. 

“I know but you want to stay here, right?” Clary tentatively said. 

“Of course! My brother is here and well… you’re here of course so, no, I can’t see myself moving.” 

“Oh good.” Clary was just walking out of the school when she thought she saw a Black Vipers cut. 

She took a few steps forward and came face to face with Jonathan Morgenstern. He had a hunting knife in his hand which he was tossing up and down in the air. Izzy was right behind her and Clary had her hand on her pepper spray in an instant. “Hi. What are you doing here?” Clary said. 

“I hadn’t heard from you. I was worried.” Jonathan said. 

"It's only been a few days, Jonathan. I didn't fall off the face of the earth," Clary laughed, trying to hide how nervous she was.

"Okay, so maybe I just wanted to see you," Jonathan said, he flipped it up and down, playing with it.

"Will you please put that away?!" she whisper-shouted. "You can't have that shit out at my school!"

Before he could respond or make any movement to put his weapon away, Clary heard the one voice that at any other time in her life would make her blood sing but at that moment, she felt as if she had ice in her veins. He had seen her...talking to a Viper...and she was pretty sure she knew exactly what was going to happen.

“Clary get away from him!” Jace called. The balisong he normally kept up his sleeve was already in his hand.

“Jace!” Clary yelped. 

“Don’t fucking move you fucking piece of shit!” Jace roared. Alec was right behind him, holding his own knife, ready to jump in any moment.

“I'll do what I want, fuckhead. She's not your property,” Jonathan snapped. 

“Jonathan, I said I would text you when I was free,” Clary said. 

“Yeah well you didn’t so I figured I would come talk to you.” Jonathan turned his head to scowl at Jace and Clary discreetly took out her pepper spray, getting ready to use it as soon as she needed to. He turned back to her, “But I can see now that I’ve apparently been lured in by one of the Red Demons. Too bad. I would’ve done some very bad things to you,” he said, salaciously.

Clary saw the exact moment that Jace decided Jonathan would no longer have the luxury of breathing. His grip tightened on his knife and he made to step forward. Before he could do anything, she raised her hand holding the pepper spray and misted him in the eyes with the stuff. 

“Aghhhhhhhh!!!” Jonathan bellowed. 

Izzy dragged Alec over to his bike, trying to get him out of there before shit went down. Clary went to Jace’s truck. Jace didn’t even bother to put his seat belt on, he just put the truck in gear and took off. 

The ride home was completely silent but she could feel the tension rolling off of the man next to her. When they finally pulled up, she grabbed her bag off the floor and headed toward the front door. She was almost there when she was pulled to the right and pushed up against the side of her house. He caged her in between his arms and was close enough to kiss her though she suspected that was the furthest thing from his mind.

“What the FUCK were you thinking?!” Jace growled at her. 

“What do you mean!?” Clary snapped back at him 

“Did you fuck him!?” Jace bit out. 

“He bought me a bunch of drinks at Blitz and we talked. He wasn’t wearing his cut but he was with a bunch of dudes. Izzy told me he was a Black Viper halfway through the night.” 

“What the fuck, Clary?” Jace barked at her. “You can’t do this. You may be the princess of the MC but you DON’T get to date guys from rival gangs!” 

"AND HOW EXACTLY WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE WAS A BLACK VIPER? LIKE I SAID, HE WASN'T WEARING A CUT SO OBVIOUSLY HE WASN'T WEARING A FUCKING SIGN ON HIS FOREHEAD EITHER." Clary bellowed at him. 

"DID. YOU. FUCK. HIM!?" Jace seethed.

  
  
"NO! Jesus, I'm not some fucking club girl, Jace. I don't just go around sleeping with guys I just met. I barely kissed him!"

  
  
The movement in front of her was so quick that she almost didn't see it happen but when Jace pulled his hand back from the wall, all bloody and broken, she knew she hadn't just been imagining it.

  
  
"FUCK!!!" he yelled, more from anger than from pain, before turning around and making his way back to his truck. She tried to call after him but he had already started the ignition and was halfway down the street before she really had time to process what had just happened. 

  
  
Her and Jace almost never fought but he was treating her like some kind of criminal and all she'd done was accidentally go out with the wrong guy. 

  
  
She hiked her bag back up on her shoulder and decided it'd be best if she went inside and explained to her parents. No doubt they'd heard her and Jace screaming at each other and Jace would have to tell him about any potential issues they'd have with a rival gang, especially with the VP.

*~*~*

"CLARY! WHAT MY VP JUST TOLD ME BETTER NOT BE TRUE!"

Fuck, he worked fast. Clary couldn't be mad about it, it was his job, technically his life but she was hoping she'd at least have had a moment to prepare herself for the other man in her life to yell at her. 

Clary rubbed her ears. “I went on a date with a Black Viper without knowing it…” 

He looked so angry. She was used to seeing him look at his guys that way but she couldn't remember the last time that look was aimed at her. She didn't know how to make him understand that she really had no idea who she was dealing with until Iz told her.

"As soon as I found out who he was, I made an excuse and left. It seemed like everything was fine until he decided to show up at school today and I sprayed him with pepper spray," she whispered.

“THIS IS GREAT, PERFECT!!! I LOVE HAVING MC WARS TO WORRY ABOUT!” Luke bellowed. “WE PROMISED SHERIFF APPLE THE VIOLENCE WOULD STAY OUT OF KINGSTON!” 

Clary cringed. “I’m sorry, dad.” Her bottom lip wobbled and a lone tear flowed down her cheek. “I’m sorry for making so much trouble.” She rubbed her eyes and tried to clear her thoughts. 

Luke sighed, seemingly trying to get his anger under control. His eyes were closed and he was trying to calm his breathing to keep from causing further pain to his ribs but was obviously failing, judging by the pained look on his face.

"How the hell did you meet the VP of the Black Vipers anyway? We kept you away from all that shit for a reason."

"Sebastian told Izzy about this app that you use to meet people and we both signed up. I matched with Jonathan so I went to go meet up with him."

"Are you telling me, that Sebastian told Izzy about TINDER?" Luke demanded. He was becoming agitated again and she knew better than to not answer him.

"Yes?" Clary squeaked.

He looked like he was about to erupt. Luke was the cool, laid-back dad but when he was pissed, it was a little scary. Clary had a feeling that anger was now mostly aimed at someone else and for that, she was grateful.

"Clary, I want you to delete that app. Isabelle too. All that shit is for is to find someone to hook up with. Sebastian never should've told Izzy anything about it. He's gonna regret it now." He pulled Clary to him and held her, ruffling her hair like she was still a little kid. She hated it and he knew it but she'd let it slide, just this once.

"I love you, baby girl. You don't need a hookup app to meet a guy. You're gorgeous, just like your mother."

She rolled her eyes but held onto him tightly. She needed comfort after the day she'd had. After a few minutes, he pulled away and looked her in the eye, "So, Jace tells me you're pretty good with that pepper spray." And Clary smiled, knowing that even though both her dad and Jace were pissed, they were both still proud of her. She was still crying a bit, mostly because she couldn’t believe she’d been so dumb. 

“Why don’t you go work on your homework and invite Izzy over. Tell her I need to see her phone and get a promise from her that she won’t ever listen to one of Sebastian’s half baked ideas again.” Luke said, swiping away Clary’s tears. 

“Yeah, ok dad.” 

  
  


*~*~*

Later that night Jace was back at the clubhouse he was still fuming. He couldn’t believe this. Not only was Luke injured, (and definitely out of commission for a few weeks) which put him in charge of everything to do with the club, he had Sebastian and Jonathan to deal with. 

He obviously had to wait for Luke’s orders to take any action against a rival club. But that came sooner than he thought they would. Jace’s phone went off. 

[ L. Garroway ] See to Sebastian. Rough him up, you have my permission. Jonathan will have to wait. 

[ J. Herondale ] Anything else? 

[ L. Garroway ] Look after Clary. I don’t like MC business being brought to her school. 

[ J. Herondale ] Yessir. 

Jace snubbed out the cigarette he was smoking and wound his way through the maze of clubhouse rooms, Sebastian was here somewhere with some ugly girl. Jace found Sebastian’s room and knocked sharply three times. “Club business. Get your ass out here!” Jace yelled through the door. There was a feminine squeak behind the door and Jace knew this would be weird. 

About two minutes later Sebastian came to the door and unlocked it. He was barely dressed in a wife-beater and shorts. “Come on, Seb. We have to teach you a lesson.” 

“What? I didn’t do anything, I swear that girl in my room is legal.” 

“Not the piece of ass in your room, two of the women you were sworn to protect when you got your tattoo.” 

“Jocie? Mars? Yo, I haven’t been fucking anyone’s, old lady!” 

“Shut the fuck up dickhead. Clary and Izzy. You told them about Tinder and Clary ended up meeting up with a Black Viper!” 

“Oh fuck…” Sebastian sighed. 

“Oh fuck is right,” Jace said as he swung his fist back and made contact with Sebastian’s eye. Sebastian was completely caught off guard and landed on his ass. Jace dove in after Sebastian and roughed up his face, giving him a split lip and a bloody nose. Sebastian struggled underneath Jace but Sebastian was no match for Jace’s strength. “You better stay away from those girls!” Jace bit out before pulling himself off Sebastian. Sebastian’s face was rapidly purpling and there was blood everywhere. 

Jace walked away and out the clubhouse door, letting it slam behind him. 

*~*~*

Jace had been sitting in his truck outside the clubhouse for close to two hours. He honestly didn’t know what to do with himself. He knew he’d freaked out on Clary earlier but what the fuck was she doing going out with Jonathan? He couldn’t stomach her with anyone at all unless it was him but Jonathan was the worst person she could’ve picked.

Logically, he understood that she didn’t have a clue who he was. She’d told him Jonathan wasn’t wearing a cut when they met but the fact that she’d put her lips on him at all, no matter how innocent, was driving him crazy. Her lips didn’t belong anywhere but on him and certainly not on a Viper. God, he was going to fucking kill Jonathan as soon as he got his hands on him.

Jace drove back to his apartment and hurried inside. He planned to shut out the world for a while. He needed to think and for that, he needed the solitude of his own home. He got inside and immediately felt suffocated. Like the walls were closing in on him and he wasn’t sure where the feeling was coming from. He saw the fire escape out the window and opened it to climb up to the roof.

They kept a few pieces of furniture up there, a few plastic lawn chairs and some metal tables with the umbrellas sticking out of the center. Jace laid down on one of the chairs and looked up at the sky. The stars had just started to come out and it was a night where the moon was almost nonexistent so you could really see them beginning to light up the sky.

He closed his eyes and took what felt like his first unlabored breath in hours. Even though it wasn’t silent, any noise around him wasn’t able to penetrate the wall he’d erected. He concentrated on his breathing, attempting to slow down his beating heart. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and felt much calmer. He had to stop the adrenaline that had been coursing through his body for hours.

He spent most of his nights at the clubhouse so he didn’t get much of this in his life. However, at the moment it seemed like the most inviting place on the planet besides the one place he really wanted to be.

Clary. Apologizing to her wasn’t something he was looking forward to. They almost never fought so he’d never had much cause to do it in the past. Even when they did, it was generally about small things. They tended to just laugh off their small arguments and things went back to normal without anyone having to apologize. Jace knew he fucked up and this time it wouldn’t be quite so simple.

He couldn’t believe he actually asked her if she slept with him. Clary wasn’t that kind of girl and he knew that probably better than anyone else besides maybe Izzy. He felt like a complete ass. He did have to admit to himself, the way that she yelled back at him was hot. He’d never gotten that kind of reaction out of her before and even though it was wrong to love it and he was wrong to have done that to her in the first place, it turned him on.

Everything about Clary, it seemed, turned him on these days and it felt like everyone could see it. No one had called him out on it or anything but fuck, he felt like he was doing a horrible job at hiding it, especially around her. Apparently, she was still oblivious to it. He didn’t understand how but it was working in his favor for at least the time being. He couldn’t take her rejection and he still had no idea what he would say to Jocie and Luke even if there was a chance that he and Clary could somehow work out. 

He couldn’t worry about that now. Clary was his friend first and foremost and he needed to suck it up and ask for her forgiveness. He took one last deep breath before standing up and climbing back down the fire escape. 

Jace discarded his clothes and all the stuff in his pockets until he was down to his boxers and then climbed into his bed. He laid back on the pillows and vowed he would straighten things out with Clary when he picked her up from school, assuming she was still talking to him. Even if she wasn’t, she couldn’t ignore him forever. His last thoughts before sleep finally took him were of her beautiful face and her sweet smile.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed please leave some feedback, subscribe, leave kudos, bookmark, or even the holy grail: a comment!


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